Me 262 Roll Out! | Military Aviation Museum

On May 10, 2025 we held our Roll Out ceremony for the museum’s Me 262 replica. This sold-out event represented a culmination of sorts, particularly for those members of the aviation community who have been following the process of getting the airplane to its first flight, and off to what lies beyond. The airplane is booked at several air shows this Summer, with more to be announced - including local dates for those who could not join us this past weekend. However, before the jet heads off, we wanted to give everyone a chance to see it – up close and personal - just like you would if it were part of a normal visit to the Museum.

It wasn’t any easy task at all to bring the Museum to life off-site! To prepare a space for the aircraft at a regional airport with a paved runway was not necessarily the biggest problem, but to do so while preparing to welcome as many guests as possible - now that was a real challenge.

A little after 10am, the Me 262 rolled out of the hangar under tow from the Museum’s Sd.Kfz.2 Kettenkrad, driven by Fighter Factory mechanic, Sean Ennis. The image is reminiscent of wartime photographs depicting these vehicles performing the same task during the closing days of World War II. (image by Justin Fortier)

A nice study showing the Military Aviation Museum's reproduction Me 262 with its Kettenkrad tug in front of the hangar at Chesapeake Regional Airport used during the jet's Roll-Out event. (image by Justin Fortier)

The Museum's Kettenkrad vehicle served as an aircraft tug during the Me 262's Roll-Out event at Chesapeake Regional Airport. (image by Justin Fortier)

We found the necessary support in the Chesapeake Airport Authority, who graciously helped us secure the stunning, brand new hangars where the event took place. They also guaranteed the ramp space to host you all, and - most importantly - opened a space inside the airport fence for vehicle parking! They committed themselves to supporting this event wholeheartedly, and were there to help make it happen – from bathrooms for visitors, to ladders for the aircrew, and everything in between!

Chief Pilot Mike Spalding describing the Me 262 with visitors during the VIP session during the morning of the Roll-Out event. (image by Justin Fortier)

Mike Spalding discussing the Me 262 with VIP guests inside the hangar which the Chesapeake Airport Authority graciously made available for the Roll-Out event. (image by Mark Freeman)

Visitors to the VIP portion of the Roll-Out event were given the opportunity to wing-walk on the aircraft with the Chief Pilot, checking out the inside of the cockpit for themselves.. (image by Justin Fortier)

Additionally, we owe a special thanks to the 28 dedicated Museum volunteers who put their back muscles into hauling chairs and equipment over to the event site, and to the local EAA Chapter at Chesapeake Regional Airport, who loaned us some of their equipment while they were working hard on their Young Eagles rally on the very same day! A special shout out must also go to Wolfgang Hustedt who built the ramps to help guests navigate the curbs, and to the Ennis Family who loaned the use of their trailer to haul both the Kettenkrad and the brace of wartime jet engines over to Chesapeake.

The crowd was given the chance to get as close as they wanted to out on the ramp, with the unveiling being followed by a Q&A with (right to left) Museum Director and CEO Keegan Chetwynd, Chief Pilot Mike Spalding and Contracted Mechanics, Ike and Alison Burchinal. (image by Justin Fortier)

A healthy crowd gathered to watch Chief Pilot Mike Spalding taxiing the Me 262 to the runway for takeoff. (image by Keegan Chetwynd)

From a staffing perspective, the event required personnel from both the Museum and the Fighter Factory to pull off seamlessly, with everyone equally excited to give up a Saturday to try and provide guests the chance to enjoy the Me 262 in action!

While it just requires hard work and inspiration to put all of the pieces of an event like this in place, it is really the visitors who make the difference in raising the quality of the experience. And you all did a fabulous job this time. So from our staff and volunteers, thank you to everyone who joined us out at the airport – it was a pleasure to have you all here with us for the event. Reviewing the data this morning, we were amazed to find just what reach this event had! For starters, 19 of you joined us from Atlanta! Other guests participated from Montana, San Jose, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Houston, Detroit, St. Louis, and - of course - from closer cities like Baltimore and others in the D.C. Area.

Museum Chief Pilot Mike Spalding lifting the Me 262 into the air a little after noon at Chesapeake Regioinal Airport during the jet's Roll-Out event. (image by Justin Fortier)

Chief Pilot Mike Spalding exiting the Me 262 after a successful flight, while Sean Ennis, Ike and Alison Burchinal chat in the foreground. (image by Mark Freeman)

The visitors getting up close to the Me 262 and its Kettengrad tug after the flight. (image by Mark Freeman)

Thank you all for showing us what a wide-reaching interest there is in the preservation of historic aircraft, and for your ticket purchases which support the Museum, not to mention the purchases you all made in the Museum Store to support the aircraft as well!

The event featured the unveiling of a new T-Shirt design from Django Studios – Chad Hill's long-awaited Me 262 shirt was first made available to those attending the event. There are still some in stock (limited quantities), so if you missed the event, head to the link HERE to snag yours today.

Django Studios designed this fabulous T-shirt for the Me 262 Roll-Out event. A limited number are still available through the museum's store. See the link above...